Sudurpaschim Royals vs Janakpur Bolts, NPL, Today Match Prediction 18 December 2024

SPR vs JKB Match Prediction & Analysis

The playoffs of the Nepal Premier League 2024 are about to commence in Kirtipur. The playoff will feature an eliminator and a couple of qualifiers before the finalists are decided. Sudur Paschim Royals will take on Janakpur Bolts in the Qualifier-1 of the NPL 2024 at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur on 18th December 2024.

Sudur Paschim Royals and Janakpur Bolts finished as the top two teams of the tournament and thus will feature in the Qualifier-1. The winner of this game will move directly into the finals, whereas the loser will get yet another chance to fight it out against the winner of the Eliminator. Sudur Paschim Royals is clearly the team of the tournament, while Janakpur Bolts secured second place after some tough wins in the league stage setting the stage up for a cracking Qualifier.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Sudurpaschim Royals Preview

The dominance of Sudur Paschim Royals in Nepal Premier League 2024 can be gauged from the difference in NRR between them and the next team. Sudur Paschim Royals’s NRR at the end of the league stage is 2.087 while Chitwan Rhinos have the second-best NRR at 0.634. 

Sudur Paschim Royals not only won the games but won those quite comprehensively by huge margins. Here are some of the big win margins for Sudur Paschim Royals so far - win by 90 runs against Biratnagar Kings, win by 73 runs against Kathmandu Gurkhas, win by 6 wickets against Karnali Yaks. Sudur Paschim Royals’s only defeat came against Chitwan Rhinoes. In the rest of the encounters they utterly dominated the oppositions. 

Their first win against Biratnagar Kings was the biggest in of win by runs. Batting first in that game, Sudur Paschim Royals scored 182 on the back of captain Dipendra Singh Airee’s 57 runs of just 24 balls, with 3 fours and 5 sixes down the order. In defense, Scott Kuggeleijn and Abinash Bohara shared 6 wickets among them to derail Biratnagar Kings for just 92 runs, winning the match by a whooping 90 runs.

In of winning while chasing, Sudur Paschim Royals's previous game against Karnali Yaks was the biggest one. Winning the toss and fielding first, Sudur Paschim Royals restricted Karnali Yaks for just 101 runs in 20 overs. Harmeet Singh took 3 wickets for 17 runs in 4 overs. Chasing a small target, Sudur Paschim Royals got there in the 16th over with 6 wickets to spare. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee was again the top scorer. Sudur Paschim Royals seemed to be in a fine touch all through the tournament. Moreover, they defeated Janakpur Bolts in the previous encounter by 72 runs earlier this season. It will be hard to stop Sudur Paschim Royals from reaching the finals in this qualifier-1.

Key players: Dipendra Singh Airee (c), Harmeet Singh, Scott Kuggeleijn, Abinash Bohara

Sudurpaschim Royals Predicted Playing XI:

Saif Zaib, Binod Bhandari (wk), Brandon McMullen, Ishan Pandey, Dipendra Singh Airee (c), Aarif Sheikh, Harmeet Singh, Scott Kuggeleijn, Naresh Budayair, Naren Saud, Abinash Bohara

Janakpur Bolts Preview

Janakpur Bolts started the season better than Sudur Paschim Royals, winning 4 out of 4 matches at the start of the tournament. However, they lost 2 of their last 3 games, putting a question mark to their form just before the playoffs. Interestingly, both the tabletoppers lost to Chitwan Rhinos in the League stage.

This will be Janakpur Bolts's second encounter against Sudur Paschim Royals. In the previous encounter during the League stage, Janakpur Bolts put Sudur Paschim Royals to bat first after winning the toss. Janakpur Bolts managed to restrict Sudur Paschim Royals for just 123 for 9 wickets. Kishore Mahato took 4 wickets for 35 runs. It looked like a simple chase, but in a collapse of a lifetime, Janakpur Bolts were bundled out for just 51 runs. As many as 9 batters from Janakpur Bolts were dismissed for a single digit, 3 of them for 0. It was a heartbreaking performance so close to the playoffs.

In their last league game, Janakpur Bolts were up against Chitwan Rhinos. Chitwan Rhinos score 180 for 5 batting first. Lalit Rajbanshi took two wickets for 11 runs in 4 overs, bowling two crucial middles. Chasing 181, Janakpur Bolt were bundled out for just 148 runs in 18 overs. James Nasham top-scored with 65 of 24 balls, but rest of the batting collapsed under pressure. Two big defeats so close to the playoffs must have dented the confidence of Janakpur Bolts. They need to come out of these losses and put their best performance against Sudur Paschim Royals.

Key players: Anil Sah (c), James Neesham, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato

Janakpur Bolts Predicted Playing XI:

Anil Sah (c), Aasif Sheikh, Lahiru Milantha †, Harsh Thaker, Shubh Kansakar, James Neesham, Mohammad Mohsin, Arniko Yadav, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato

Weather Conditions

The weather on the match day at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur is expected to be cool and dry with clear skies. The temperature would range between 19°C to 9°C. A moderate humidity is expected but there is no chance of rain on the match day. Overall, a pleasant day for a cricket match.

SPR vs JKB Pitch Report

The venue of the match is Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. It commonly known as the TU Cricket Ground, is a well-known cricket venue located in Kirtipur, near Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1998, it’s the home ground for Nepal’s national cricket team and has hosted numerous ODIs and T20 matches over the years. With a seating capacity of around 20,000, it’s a favorite spot for cricket fans in the country.

Toss: To Bat

The conditions at Kirtipur are pretty balanced. In Nepal Premier League 2024, almost half the matches have been won by the team batting first, and the teams batting second. In a crucial game, in the shortest format, chasing is a preferred option when the conditions are even. The team winning the toss should bat first here.